Elon Musk hit back at those mocking his contribution to the cave rescue: 'Something's messed up if this is not a good thing'

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesElon Musk offered to help the rescue in a variety of ways.

Elon Musk sent engineers to Thailand before travelling there himself and working to build a child-sized submarine to assist the rescue operation for the 12 boys and their soccer coach who were trapped in a cave.

Some have criticised his involvement as a public-relations stunt, and many have joked about the submarine being deemed “not practical” by those leading the rescue mission.

Musk on Tuesday posted what he said was a conversation with a leader of the dive team that showed the submarine was desired, and he said he was leaving it there in case it could be of use in the future.

He also commented on those criticising him: “Something’s messed up if this is not a good thing.”

Elon Musk has hit back at those who have criticised his attempts to help recuse the 13 members of a Thai soccer team who were trapped in a cave for more than two weeks.

He said on Twitter on Wednesday that the reaction had “shaken my opinion of many people.”

“We were asked to create a backup option & worked hard to do so,” Musk tweeted. “Checked with dive team many times to confirm it was worthwhile. Now it’s there for anyone who needs it in future. Something’s messed up if this is not a good thing.”

This reaction has shaken my opinion of many people. We were asked to create a backup option & worked hard to do so. Checked with dive team many times to confirm it was worthwhile. Now it’s there for anyone who needs it in future. Something’s messed up if this is not a good thing.

He was replying to another Twitter user, who wrote: “The hatred being spewed about @elonmusk is ridiculous. Any engineer always needs a backup plan. He tried to help in the best way he knew how, and I commend him mightily for it.”

Musk’s submarine was deemed “not practical” for the mission by Narongsak Osatanakorn, the head of the joint command center who coordinated the operation. But Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said he was “highly appreciative” of Musk’s efforts.

Musk also described how the dive team encouraged him to keep working on the submarine. In a response on Twitter to a BBC report about Osatanakorn’s comments, Musk shared what he said was his email correspondence with Richard Stanton, a British diver who helped lead the mission.

The photo of the emails shows that Stanton told Musk on Saturday that the submarine “may well be used” as part of the rescue mission.

The former Thai provincial governor (described inaccurately as “rescue chief”) is not the subject matter expert. That would be Dick Stanton, who co-led the dive rescue team. This is our direct correspondence: pic.twitter.com/dmC9l3jiZR

Jeez, people all over the world were armchair quarterbacking the Thai cave rescue and @elonmusk is getting bad press because he talked to the experts involved on the scene, actually tried building something and flew it out there on his own dime? I'm just ecstatic everyone is out.

On Sunday, Musk hit back at a Twitter user who accused him of using the crisis as PR stunt.

“Gosh, feel like you need to leverage every public situation for your own aggrandizement much?” the person wrote. “You do know there are hundreds of experts already working this across multiple counties, no? #narcissism.”

If I am a narcissist (which might be true), at least I am a useful one